Steering-wheel.



E. J; LOBDELL. STEERING WHEEL'.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29, 1917.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

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@MWI/IU r erstens EDVARD J. LOBDELL, 0E ONAWAY, MICHIGAN. 4` "i affittiamo-WHEEL.

recense.

Speecaton of Letters' Patent. Patented A110'. 14, 191.7.

Application ined March es. 1917. serial Nt. 158,244.

To all whom. 'it may concern.' I

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. Lonnnm., a citizen of the 'United States, and residing at nau'ay, in the county of Presque Isle and State ofMichigan, have invented a newI and Improved Steeringfl/Vheel, of which the fol- `lowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to steering and other hand wheels for vehicles and its object is to provide a wheel wherein the outer portions of the spokes or spider arms are incased in a protective wooden covering so that contact of the hand with the metal ot' the arms in the usual steering operations -is avoided; to provide means whereby the joint between the spokes and the rim is substantially concealed; to provide a substantially 'unnoticeable joint between the ends of the wooden covering and the rim; to provide a joint between the wooden covering and the rim of considerably4 greater length longitudinally of the latter than the width of the covering at points some distance inwardly from the rim; to provide a joint between the covering and the rim of such nature as to afford a very large gluing area fiatwise of the grain, and to irl-general produce a better andstronger wheel than has been possible heretofore. The invention will be more fully understood from the following descriptionof a preferred embodiment, it being remembered that the shape and proportion of the parts may be Widely changed'.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a pla-n View showing one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fi g. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the same line, the metal reinforcing being removed. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line lf-4 of Fig. 3. Fig.r 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The central portion of the spider 1 may be of any suitable form and preferably'includes four arms 2 at substantially right angies to one another. These arms preferably have shoulders 3 (thefaecs 4t of which lie in planes substantially -perl'iendicular `to the plane of the Wheel), and from the latter extend outwardly in the form of reduced end portions 5 of substantially rectangular cross-section, both width and thickness' ofwhich are less than the corresponding dimension of the rest of the arms. fit the outer ends the arms merge into circular reinforcing bar 6, also preferably of rectangular cross-section, by which they are joined to one another and to which they may be se-I cured by welding. v The bar 6 incased in a laminated woo/den y ,l rim S the dividing surfaces of the laminas' of. 60 which (not shown)v are preferably substantially concentric to the -axis vof the wheel; and the end portions of the arms are likewise incased in wooden coveringsY 1.0. yAs best shown in Fig. 4, tlierim .is split or. sawed through in its own central'plane afterv l its outer surface has been turned to `the desired cross section.y Each half is then againl placed in the chuck of the turning lathe, andi mit grooved along its plane surface, as indicated "10 at l2, to conform tothe shape of the corre-l f ,f spoiuling half of the bar (i, after which two, symmetrical grooves, one on each side of the center .line of the corresponding arm, are

out therein by a suitable cutter rotating about axes through the points 13 near the inner surface of the rim, These circulan` grooves are deeper than the groove 12, and receive the corresponding half of thecover 1. ing 10 which is split as shown at 14 (ligff)v B) in the plane of the common'surface of they; sections of the rim. The intersection ofthe covering 10 with the rim 8 being closedto the inner edge of the latter, as shown by the. f, dashed line 16 in Fig. 4f, it follows that ,thef joint is substantially concealed. The halves of the covering 10 are then grooved at 15 to, i correspond to the ctn-responding half of the" respective arm, after which the halves of the rirn have their meeting faces coated with glue and are applied to the rei'nforceing bar 6 in an obvious manner. Screws 18 that have their heads countersunk in one half of they",y rim and pass through the reinforcing bar 5 and into the other half, and `plugs 19 for the screw holes complete the constructions. I The grain of the rim sections of course 4elf: tends longitudinally of the rim whereas that of the covering* 10 extends longitudinally of the corresponding arm, consequently the glu- 100 ing surface, except Athat of the arcs of the circles about peints 13, is fiatwise ofthe-v l grain, which develops a much greater holdingA power than would otherwise be secured. it The arcshaped surfaccsjof the rim form 1,95 abntmentsv through which stresses frein the f rim are transmitted to the arm sectors at i points removed a considerable distance yfrom the axis of the latter, and the projection 2O f h.:- vof the rim constitutes in effect a gagement of the covering 10 with the faces 4 of the shoulders 3 simplifies the operation of assembling and aii'ords a means for directly supporting the arm covering against radial inward thrusts. By finishing the surface of the covering along arcs 21, a more easy grip for the hands is secured.

The details of construction may be varied largely without departing from the spirit of the invention, for example, the cross section of the, reinforcing and of the 'arms may be other than that shown, and the shape of the ends or' the covering 10 may be changed. The device may of course be used for purposes other than the steering of vehicles, for example. it may constitute a control lever for elevators. I do not, therefore, wish' to be limited except as indicated by the subjoined claims. f

I claim 1. A steering wheel or the like comprising a wooden rim and a spider including a plurality of metal arms extending into the rim and woodcn'coverings for the outer ends o said arms, said covering being interposed between tlic end portions of the arms and the rim, the material of the rim being continuous both above and below the several cover-r ings.

2. A steering wheel or the like comprising a wooden rim and a spider including a plu- A rality of metal arms extending into the rim said arms,

`rality of metal arms extending and wooden coverings for the outer ends of said coverings being interposed between the end portions of the arms and the rim on opposite sides of the central plane of the rim, and having their` outer ends formed in a plurality of part-cylindrical surfaces the axes of which are parallel to the axis of the wheel, the rim havin" sockets shaped to conform to the outer ends of said coverings.

3. A steering wheel or the like comprising a wooden rin and a spider including a pluinto the rim and wooden coverings for the outer ends of said arms, said coverings being interposed between the end portions of the arms and the rim on opposite sides ofthe central plane of the rim, and having their outer ends formed in a plurality of part-cylindrical surfaces theaxes of which are parallel to the axis 0f the wheel, the rim having sockets shaped to conform to the outer ends of said coverings, the material of the rim being continuous Vboth above and below the several coverings. y z- -4L A steering wheel or the -like comprising an internally reinforced Wooden rim, a metal spider having arms joined to the reinforcement of the rim, said arms having shoulders some distance inwardly from' the rim, and wooden coverings for t e Iortions of said arms between the shoulders and the nm.

' said coverings A.tween the corresponding Ilm.

6. A steering wheel or the like comprising a wooden rim and a spider including a plurality of metal arms extending into -the rim,

.wooden coverings for the outer ends of the arms each of said wooden coverings havin Aits outer end cut to form a plurality o part-cylindrical surfaces the axes of which are parallel to the axis of the wheel, the rim being shaped to eorrespondthereto, said coverings being glued to the rim.

7. steering wheelor the like comprising a rim split centrally in the plane of the wheel, a spider having arms the extreme outer ends of which are received in the rim, coverings for the outer portions of said arms, also being split in the plane of the wheel, each section of the rim being mortised to receive the .end of the corresponding section of the covering, the mortises each includingl a plurality of lobes.

8. A steering wheel or the like comprising a wooden rim, a metal spider having arms extending into the rim, wooden coverings for the outer ends of said arms, the outer ends of said coverings being interposed bearm and the rim, said coverings being substantiall the wood of the rim being continuous thc coverings on both sides of plane ot' the rim, glued to the rim.

9. A` steering wheel or the like com rising a wooden rim, the grain of the woo extending longitudinally of the rim, a metal spider having arms extending into the rim, wooden coverings for the outer ends of said arms, the outer ends of said coverings being interposed between the corresponding arm and the rim, said coverings being su .stantially T-shaped, the grain of the wood cover` ings extending radially of the rim, the coverpast the central and the coverings being ings and the rim beine' glued together.

10. In a steering w eelor the like compris'ing a4 wooden rim and a metal spider ,ha ng arms extending into the rim, substantiali y Tlshaped co'vermgs for the outer ends of s id arms, the bars of the T-shaped coverings being received in sockets cut into the rim rom the inner surface thereof, whereby the material of said rim is rendered con-y tinuous past the coverings on both sides of firms: n# Hw sections of the rim being cut a metal spider having armsy T-shaped,

erings for the ends of the arms,

f being Vcut away of the Wooden coverings,

away adjacent the ends of th'e'arms to form sockets of the same depth 'as thethickness the coverings being glued in the sockets, x 12. A steering `wheel or the like comprising a Wooden run split in its central plane, a kmetal spider having arms extending into the rim, substantially T-shaped Woodenk cov Seid cover ings also being split in thecentral plane of the rim, portions of, the sections of the rim adjacent the ends of the` arms to form sockets of .the saine depth as the thickness of the correspondin@Dr sections of the wooden Coverings, the Coverings he.y ing glued in the Sockets and the several ser,- tions of the rim/and coverings being glued together in the central plane of the rimf 5.3. In e steering wheel or the like com prf ing a Wooden rim and a metal spider havin arme extendin luto the rim snbf stantially T-shaped coverings for the outer ends of said arms,

the faces of the coverings l most remote from the stems each including twov arc-shaped surfaces abutting against oorrespondingly shaped Wells of sockets cnt into the rim from the' inner surface thereof, whereby the material of said rim is rendered continuous past the coverings and whereby o strong connection `between the'coverings and the rim. is secured.

14. In a steering wheel or the like comprising a wooden ri'ni and a metal'spider having arms of seid arms, the barsof the T-shaped coveru ings being received in 'sockets cut into the rim from the inner surface thereof, whereby the materiel of Said rim isrendered continuous past the coverings on both sides of the central plane Vof the vrim', the mter'inl of the stem of the eo'ferings merging into the material of the bei' thereof along curved surfaces located inside of the rim.

EDWARD 'J'. LOBDELL.

extending into the rim, subst-aub' tlally T-shaped coverings for the outer ends 

